One theory states that cursing is a substitute for a physical act of aggression. So it would make sense that as women become more aggressive in life, their speech patterns would match.

The most interesting thing thing in the article is the news that, after people have strokes and lose the ability to converse, they still retain the ability to swear. This has led neurologists to believe that swear words are stored in the brain's right hemisphere, where as propositional language is stored in the left, the part that gets affected by having a stroke. Here are some other tidbits:

• Cursing in groups promotes social bonding.
• "Fuck" and "shit" make up half of all swear words used.
• The seemingly benign "damn" was the "undisputed king" of swear words before "fuck" began being used
• Almost all swear words are based on sex or excretion.

Some psychologists believe that our dirty mouths are a product of evolution. It's safer for us to scream "Fuck you" from across the street at a person, without worrying about getting beaten up. But for as long as that piece was, and all the theories and facts it contained, it didn't state what seems to be the most obvious thing: People curse because it's fucking fun.

The Science Of Swearing [New Scientist]

"Then, one evening earlier this year, I sat down and read the labels of everything I used and worked out I was applying more than 200 different chemicals to my body each day. These are said to be safe, but what is not known is the effect that the 'cocktail' of chemicals is having on our bodies."

Says Nicky, "I was only four days in and I felt so unpleasant all over that I wanted to quit." But she stuck with it. And surprisingly, she claims it wasn't so bad! "Despite not having washed my face for a month — my skin looked fresher and brighter than it had for a decade." Now, post-experiment, Nicky is down to "a bar of soap, organic shampoo and conditioner, and a basic moisturizer." And of course, since Nicky makes TV documentaries, her saga will be aired on BBC3.

We're not especially "product junkies" like some of our friends, but we just don't feel right unless, at the very least, we brush our teeth and wash our face in the morning (sometimes passing out unwashed at night is one of the pleasures of being a grown-up.) But we started wondering how long we could go without our regimen. And then we decided, since the BBC isn't gonna air it, we don't really need to find out.

Six Weeks Without A Wash: The Soapless Experiment [DailyMail]